Have you ever heard of a “fartlek”? If you’re a runner or treat runners in your private practice, you probably have, but for those who haven’t heard of it, I’ll define it in a moment.
First …
After a few weeks in the ICU with my son Gray and no approaching discharge in sight, an important thought popped in my head that, as usual, I could easily relate to starting and running a private practice:
“This is not a sprint. This is a marathon.”
But the intensity of the hospital stay felt a lot like sprint, and just like a race in which you start out way too fast, the next gut-wrenching thought that pops up is, “How in the world am I gonna sustain this?”
Now let’s get back to the hilariously named “fartlek” …
A fartlek is a training method that blends continuous (endurance) training with interval (speed) training. More simply, Fartlek training combines periods of fast running intermixed with periods of slower running.
This idea of higher paced sprints within a longer run very much reminds me of the journey I have been on with my kids and amazing wife over the past year, and also what I and my private practice mastermind students regularly go through in business …
Ex:
The crazy first 3 months of our babies’ lives with frequent crying and feeding, and very little sleep for us. Then we could start scheduling them and lucked out that they took well to a schedule. Short breather!
Not long after that, we started noticing the motor deficits and eventually received the devastating Type 1 SMA diagnosis. At that point, it was a full-on sprint to get them started on the amazing treatment called Spinraza.
Then had another short breather before Gray caught a cold and ended up in the hospital. And as mentioned above, the next 3 months felt like another blurry exhausting sprint. Especially once I realized we had a shot at getting the kids pre-FDA access to an incredible gene therapy called Zolgensma.
So during this marathon of a fartlek, I was still running my Cash-Practice Mastermind Group and my private practice, and found myself repeating advice similar to what popped in my mind a few months before… but with an important edit:
“This is not just a sprint, and it’s not just a marathon. It’s both. And you should plan accordingly.”
My email list is chock full of high-achieving clinicians, entrepreneurs, and personalities. So although this may seem like a somewhat diffuse mindset-related topic, it’s incredibly important I teach about it.
When you have a breather and time to recharge, USE it. It will take some mental training to be present in the moment with your loved ones and in whatever activities you use to recharge, but try to keep your mind on those things and not on work. Simply being aware of this mental goal and working towards it is a good start.
If you, like I did in the past, allow your mind to constantly be pulled into thoughts of your business, burnout is a real danger … even if you’ve created a mostly-automated, well-oiled cash-based practice like mine : )
So, “private practice is a fartlek.” You can quote me on that one!
99% of competitive runners doing fartleks (or competitive athletes of any type) would agree that training in a sport without the use of coach is a big mistake.
Many people reading this email are or were competitive athletes and would also agree with that statement. So it always surprises me when someone who believes in coaching for athletics, shies away from the idea of having one in business or in life … a guide who has successfully walked the path you’re looking to walk and created the type of business you want to create.
Someone who can easily help you avoid major mistakes and drastically shorten your path to success with feedback and advice.
When you enroll in the Cash Practice Freedom E-course, not only do you get a step-by-step roadmap to create a private-pay practice, you get a complimentary 3 months in my Mastermind group which includes a weekly coaching call and the ability to ask me and the group any questions you have at any time.
So if you’re ready to start or massively improve your own private practice within the next 12 months, click here to check out the details of this self-paced, practice-creating e-course and the guidance you’ll get from me and your own incredible network of cash-based business owners.
Here’s what one of your colleagues had to say about the course:
“I’ve been following Jarod Carter’s podcast and materials for a couple years now. Once I knew I was ready to take the plunge and start my practice, I had no issues purchasing the course and mastermind membership. Jarod always demonstrates a high level of quality and trustworthiness in his business and products. Since starting the course, I found direction and guidance on where my focus should be. I’ve taken things step by step always knowing there’s more to do to make things work better for me and that has made the difference in not getting overwhelmed or discouraged if things don’t work as smoothly or quickly as I’d like.
The course is sleek and well thought out. The modules are informative and practical with proper actionable items with each topic. I refer to the year plan I made every day, making sure I’m really focusing on what is the most important thing now rather than what seems important to me at the moment. For anyone considering whether the investment is worth it, I say it’s a no brainer. If you’ve liked any of Jarod’s materials and podcasts, the course is no different. It offers an organized and direct way to get clarity on how to get out of the rat race and into your own business.”
– David Miller, PT, DPT
